


Storms, Dragon-Horses, and Magic

by gundamexia34



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Monster Hunter (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-06-10 01:28:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15280566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gundamexia34/pseuds/gundamexia34
Summary: A response to AnubisoftheHighwayThieves "It Followed Me Home" Challenge.There are many creatures in the magical world. Even among these, few can compare to the might if the Kirin. Its hoofsteps bring thunder, its horn calls down lightning from the heavens, its very existence is questioned even by wizards...And now Harry Potter has one as his familiar.





	1. Prologue

    Harry Potter was running. Not particularly to or from anyone or anything...Okay _maybe_ from something. Probably. Definitely.

 

    What was he running from? His problems, as always. Harry knew he was supposed to be brave and all that, but he was fed up. Not only was his so-called “family” being extra cruel, but now he had to deal with _Marge_. If he were old enough, he would have turned to drink, but last he checked he was still only 13. 5 years too young to purchase alcohol.

 

    For now, the adrenaline rush of running would have to do. Though he wished he could have been flying instead, his uncle had been swift to lock away all of his Hogwarts things in his former “bedroom”. So he would have to rely on exercise to get the rush he needed to clear his head.

 

    As he ran through the thick woods of a nearby park, which reached for miles on end, he couldn’t help but relax at least a little from the peaceful surroundings. The sun was shining, birds were singing, a unicorn was struggling with a man in a robe- WAIT, WHAT?!

 

    Skidding to a halt, he hid behind a tree as he saw a glowing white unicorn with scales, dense, spiky fur, and a massive horn trying to pull away from a man in a black robe.

 

    “Come on you ugly beast! I can make a mint off of you on the black market!” The man grunted with a cruel smirk before scowling, “Fine, if you're going to be stubborn then let’s see if a little pain will persuade you. Crucio!”

 

    Harry watched with horror as the beautiful creature was tortured. But what could he do? His wand was locked away at the Dursleys’! Looking down in disappointment and disgust, he saw a rock about the size of his palm.

 

    _Well, that's convenient.’_ He thought as he picked it up, took aim, and threw.

 

    Now it should be noted that, despite his amazing ability to catch almost anything, Harry's throwing arm was...Less than spectacular. That's not to say that it was weak by any means, most certainly not, it was simply that he couldn't aim worth a damn. This time was no different, as rather than hitting the man’s head, he instead hit the near impossible target of his wand, snapping it cleanly in two.

 

    The spell immediately stopped, leaving the ‘unicorn’ laying on the ground panting. The man stared in shock for a few moments at the remains of his wand, then turned to Harry in rage.

 

    “YOU LITTLE BRAT!” He shouted, running and lunging at Harry, who was unable to move in time. He pinned the boy down by his throat, beginning to strangle him. “I may have lost my wand, but I’ll make sure you lose something far worse than that!”

 

    Harry struggled to breathe. Was this the end? Was this how he was going to die? He thought about the surrogate family he had found in the Weasleys and Hermione, and he thought about the beautiful creature he had saved. His vision started going black as he regretted his inability to say goodbye to the former two and to save the latter.

 

    _‘All of you, I'm sorry.’_ He thought as his vision began to fade to black. Then the black became a blinding white as what seemed to be a _lightning bolt_ blasted the man away. Turning in surprise, he saw that his attacker was laying on the trunk of a newly felled tree, twitching and smoking.

 

    Suddenly, he felt something nuzzle his shoulder. The electric current from what he could only assume was the ‘unicorn' (which he confirmed with a glance) was gentle and warm, sending a thrill down his spine. It felt great, even if it did make his hair even wilder than usual.

 

    As he locked eyes with the ‘unicorn', he felt a slight pull on his magic. The best he could compare it to was the sensation of a friend calling out to him to play. Curious, he let his magic flow and follow it, only for it to rush out and snap into place. The new sensation was similar to what he felt when he was with Hedwig, making his eyes widen.

 

    Near the end of his first year, Hedwig had flown into the infirmary, and Madame Promfrey had mentioned offhandedly that she could tell that the ‘familiar bond’ between them was very strong. When Harry had asked what she meant, she explained that familiar bonds were links between a magic user and an animal companion that gave the animal higher intelligence and stronger bodies in exchange for an agreement to serve and protect their human friends. His bond with Hedwig had reached the point where she might as well have been human.

 

    Now he had what seemed to be a second bond, with a creature that was much harder to conceal.

 

    Harry put his face in his hands. Why did his life have to be so complicated!


	2. A Shocking Encounter

    Harry sat on the ground, his eyes staring at nothing as he absently ran his hands through the surprisingly soft fur on his new familiar’s neck. He dreaded going back to his relatives now more than ever. While an owl could be brushed off, a horse, especially one as noticeable as his new friend, could not.

 

    _*Master, what is troubling you?*_ A feminine voice said, making Harry's head snap up and look around for the source, _*Silly Master! I’m right beside you!*_

 

    Looking to his side, he saw only his new familiar.

 

    “Was...Was that you?” He asked tentatively, worried that he was going insane.

 

    _*Of course it was me, who else is here?*_ His familiar stated.

 

    “Okay, that's not creepy at all. How are you doing that?”

 

    _*I’m talking to you using the familiar bond! You can do it too if you think while focusing on your familiar, in this case, me!*_ If it was possible, Harry was sure that she would be smirking.

 

    _“So, like this?”_ He attempted, getting an excited whinny and nod from his new friend.

 

    _*Yes, exactly!*_

 

_“Great! Now that that's sorted, I have to ask. Who or what exactly are you?”_

 

_*I’m a Kirin! We're what happens when a dragon egg is watched over by a unicorn. And I was known as She-Who-Rests-Among-The-Clouds by my herd before I went out on my own.*_

 

_“Well, that's a long name. Would you mind if I just called you Cloud instead?”_

 

_*Not at all Master!*_

 

_“All right, I wanna nip that Master crap in the bud right now. I’d prefer it if you just called me Harry.”_

 

_*Okay! So what were you so upset about earlier?*_

 

    Sighing and deciding to speak out loud to ease the headache he was getting, he began.

 

    “Well, my relatives aren't exactly the most accepting of magic. They used to lock me in a cupboard for goodness sake! If I had you come with me then there would most likely be trouble with both them and the ministry.” The last part was more of an afterthought, of course. He normally wouldn’t care about what the ministry thought, but with him having the warning mark on his record from Dobby’s stunt last summer he wasn't willing to risk it.

 

    _*Oh, is that all? I can fix that.*_ Again, Harry would swear Cloud was smirking due to her tone and the gleam in her eye.

 

    With that, she began to glow. The light was so bright that Harry was forced to look away. When it dimmed, he turned back and his jaw dropped as his face turned cherry red.

 

    Standing where cloud once had was a beautiful girl about his age with pale skin and golden eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses with a horn in the middle. Her stark white hair went down to her mid-back, and he wore a blue skirt that reached just past her knees along with a form-fitting dark gray top.

 

    “C...Cloud?! Is that you?” Harry asked in shock.

 

    “Yup! I just took on a form that would fit in better with humans. Do you like it?” The last was said with a teasing tone as she bent puffed out her chest, which was already showing signs of development.

 

    Harry's blush darkened as he looked away again, getting Cloud to laugh.

 

    “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Just remember that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so I will definitely get you back for that.” Harry stated with a smirk as he calmed down. Honestly, now that the problem of how Cloud would follow him was solved, he was already finding himself enjoying her company.

 

    “Oh? I’ll be looking forward to it…” The accompanying giggle left no doubt as to where her mind had gone.

 

    Sighing and shaking his head, Harry stood and started walking back to the park.

 

    “Come on Cloud. We’d better get back so I can at least _try_ to explain this to the Dursleys. Just do me a favor and don’t start anything, okay?” He said. Cloud immediately fell into step to his right and slightly behind him.

 

    “I’ll do my best, but from what you’ve said _they_ will be the ones to start something. And if they do, then I warn you that I _will_ finish it.” Cloud responded with both a pout and a glare.

* * *

 

    “BOY!” Vernon Dursley began to shout as soon as he saw Cloud with Harry, “Who is this _freak_ and why is she here?!”

 

    Harry put a hand on Cloud’s shoulder to stop her from hurting his uncle, then spoke.

 

    “This is Cloud, she kind of followed me home. And if I were you, I wouldn’t insult her.” He said and waited to watch the fireworks. He was getting sick of his uncle's crap, enough said.

 

    “And why should I care what some _freakish whore_ thinks?! If you think that I am going to, for even a second, allow her into my house, then you have-!” Vernon’s ranting was interrupted by a large bolt of lightning erupting from the horn of Cloud's glasses and sending him tumbling ass over tea kettle into the garage door.

  
    “Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you. And to give a more thorough explanation, Cloud is my _familiar_. That means she will protect me from any and all threats including verbal ones. Now I suggest you go in and gather the rest of the family in the dining room because there are going to be some changes around here.” Harry's evil grin did not bode well for the Dursleys. At all.


	3. A Deal is Struck

**_< Okay, briefest of A/N’s here. * means Cloud's talking, “ means Harry, and / stands for Hedwig's speech. Just so I don’t have to keep saying who is talking. That is all.>_ **

 

    As it turned out, Harry was willing to make a rather generous deal with the Dursleys. In exchange for a lighter chore load, access to his school books and writing supplies, and signing his Hogsmeade slip, Harry was willing to treat them as if they didn't exist unless necessary. He also convinced them to tell Marge that he had recently been declared as ‘reformed' by St Brutus's and accepted into a private school in Scotland called Hogwarts, his parents’ alma mater.

    Harry honestly couldn't find it in his heart to do worse. Mentally cursing his forgiveness complex, he and Cloud went up to his room, where he was immediately set upon by Hedwig.

    _/Harry James Potter, you damn irresponsible idiot! I could feel it when you almost died! You had better have a good explanation!/_ A stern motherly voice screeched through his head. Now that he knew what look for, he could finally hear Hedwig’s voice, and it sounded eerily similar to Mrs. Weasley ’s.

    “Ow! Geez, lay off Hedwig!” Harry exclaimed. Seeing that he wasn't getting through to her, he tried to say the same thing through the familiar bond.

    _That_ certainly reached her. Hedwig was so surprised that she stopped flapping her wings and had to be caught by Harry.

    _/You...You just used the bond. You finally know about it?/_ She asked in shock and excitement.

    _“Yup! thanks to Cloud here, we can finally talk properly.”_ Harry said happily.

    Hedwig flew to his shoulder and nuzzled his head a few times before giving an affectionate nip on his ear.

    “So Harry, who’s this?” Cloud asked in faux annoyance, although her eyes gave her true feelings of amusement away.

    Giving a nervous chuckle Harry explained that Hedwig was his first familiar, then explained the situation to Hedwig, who slapped him once upside the head with her wing before flying back to the top of the dresser.

    Exhausted from the day's events, Harry decided to turn in early.

* * *

 

    As soon as his head hit the pillow, and started lightly snoring, Hedwig turned to Cloud and reached out through their joint bond with Harry. 

    _/So, you can take a human form./_ She stated calmly.

    _*Yes, I can, obviously. What about it?*_

At this Hedwig looked away before speaking. _/Can you teach me?/_

    Cloud was surprised. _*Why do you want to learn?*_

_/Over the three years that I’ve known him, I’ve come to care for Harry. I worry about him constantly, and I would like to keep a better eye on him if possible./_

Cloud smirked, _*Uh huh, sure. And the fact that you're likely to catch his attention has nothing to do with it.*_

_/N-No it doesn't! I-It’s not like that! He’s practically my hatching for goodness sake!/_

_*Oooh, kinky. Don’t worry, I won’t tell him. We’ll keep these lessons between you and me.*_

    Hedwig was sure that if she could, she would have a full body blush.

* * *

 

    Harry woke to the sound of his alarm clock. Yawning, he grabbed a change of clothes and took a shower, then went down to start on breakfast. Despite his deal with his relatives, cooking was one chore he actually enjoyed.

    As his relatives and Cloud came down, Harry set out the plates in such a way that there was a gap between him and Cloud and the Dursleys. It made the table slightly crowded, but it was helpful in that it kept either side from interacting with the other.

    After he was done eating, Harry went out with both of his familiars to the park. There he spent a few hours quietly working on his summer assignments while calmly conversing with them through the bond.

    While he was working, the subject of his teachers came up, more specifically Snape.

    _“I mean, don’t get me wrong. Snape's a good potions master, no doubt. But as a person and teacher, he tends to be lacking. He’s petty as all hell, and he obviously has no idea how to deal with kids. Why Dumbledore keeps him around I have no idea.”_

_*Well, does it really matter? There's nothing we can really do about it.*_

    Sighing, Harry wrote the last sentence of his Potions essay, before folding it up and putting both it and the book in his bag. Then he got started on History of Magic.

    After a peaceful time at the park, during which Harry managed to get a little under half of his homework done thanks to some help from both Cloud and Hedwig to spot things in his books that he missed, a rather nervous Dudley approached their table. At this point, it was around noon.

    “Err, Harry?” He said, getting them all to look up, “Dad’s gone to pick up Aunt Marge, and she's bringing Ripper.”

    Dead silence for a few moments, then Harry gave a resounding “Nope.”

    “I was willing to deal with Marge, but Ripper is a whole other story. Here's the new plan, I’m going to write to my friends and see if either of them will put me and Cloud up for the summer. Until then, I’ll be up in my room 24/7, so you or your parents will have to do the cooking. Come on, let’s get back and explain this to Aunt Petunia.”


	4. Questions Answered

    As it turned out, Ron wouldn't be able to have him over because his family had won a lottery and was planning a trip to Egypt to visit his elder brother. Hermione, however, said that she would be glad to have him over. The problem was that it would take a little while to convince her parents.

    Harry was content to know he wouldn't be dealing with Marge for the whole summer. So with two letters written and sent (Ron’s containing his congratulations as well as his understanding, while Hermione’s expressed his intense thanks), he settled in for a week of boredom.

    Surprisingly, Petunia was helping him more often. When he asked why he was a little surprised.

* * *

 

**_[FLASHBACK]_ **

    “The truth is that it was never really you or Lily that I hated.” Petunia explained, almost making Harry drop the plate he was washing, “Sure, I was jealous of your mother, but I never hated her. What I really hated was how I lost my family to that world. First, they spirited Lily away, then those ‘death eaters’ took our parents. And Lily didn’t attend the funeral because she was in hiding. That really was the last straw, and I began to despise Wizards.”

    Then Petunia glared at the living room door, where Ripper could be heard barking out the window.

    “Plus, I abhor Marge and her mutt as much as you do.”

**_[FLASHBACK OVER]_ **

* * *

     After that, their relationship took a slight turn for the better. They were far from being friends, but there was a sense of understanding between them now.

    That was two days ago, and now Harry was off on a midnight walk. He had overheard Marge drunkenly bad mouthing his parents and decided to distance himself before losing control. The only upside was that when she insulted his mother's immediate family, he heard an echoing smack and yelling from Petunia.

    As Harry passed by an alleyway between two houses, he heard a whimper. Turning, he saw a _massive_ black dog walking towards him.

    “Easy there, boy.” He said nervously as the dog sniffed him, only to fall flat on his back when it headbutted him. He braced himself, only to shield his face as the dog started licking it.

    “Down, boy, down! Haha, you’re certainly a friendly one aren't you?” Harry said with a laugh as he pushed the dog away. It was at this moment that Hedwig landed on his shoulder.

    _/Harry, that's no dog./_

_“What do you mean?”_

_/I mean that he's giving off more magic than any dog should. I think he might be an animagus./_

Immediately, Harry's whole demeanor changed before he mule-kicked the now identified wizard away. He quickly stood and started running back to the Dursley house. The dog stayed behind, not even doing anything except giving a quiet, mournful howl.

* * *

 

The next morning, after informing Cloud of what happened, she suggested coming with him and finding the dog again.

    The looks on both the others’ faces screamed, “Are you crazy?!” At this point, Cloud explained her plan.

* * *

 

    Said plan, surprisingly, went off without a hitch. Hedwig was sent to Dumbledore with an explanation of the situation and a request to come and question the wizard. Then Harry and Cloud went out and found the dog scrounging through one of the neighbors’ garbage.

    Upon seeing Harry, the dog perked up and ran towards them with its tongue lolling and tail wagging. Cloud zapped him with a low-level current to paralyze him, and Harry carried the animagus back to the Dursleys’ just in time to see Dumbledore and his phoenix Fawkes appear with Hedwig in a flash of flame.

    “Well Harry my boy, I came here expecting a rather unpleasant situation, but it seems you actually have things well in hand for once.” The old man said with a chuckle before his face went stone serious, “Come, let us return to my office. If this is who I think it is, then we will need Veritaserum, and I have had Severus retrieve some from his personal supply.” So saying, he put a hand on Harry and Cloud's shoulders as Fawkes teleported them away.

* * *

 

    Harry’s first reaction upon arrival was to prepare himself to be sick. Surprisingly, however, he felt perfectly fine. He was brought out of his thoughts by Dumbledore chuckling again.

    “Surprised? I understand completely. Phoenix Flashing is one of the more pleasant modes of wizarding transportation. Now come set the dog in the middle of the floor.”

    Stepping forward, he slowly set his burden where Dumbledore had indicated before stepping back. With a few sweeping gestures from the old headmaster, the dog became a man with shaggy black hair and pale skin.

    “Sirius Black. Just as I suspected. I can only hope that my other suspicions were correct as well.” Dumbledore muttered as he used a few more spells to tie the man to a chair. Just as he finished doing so, Snape walked in, carrying a small vial of a clear liquid.

    He sneered as he saw Harry before the sneer turned into an outright _snarl_ when he laid eyes upon their prisoner.

    “Ah, Severus, excellent timing. I was about to awaken Mr. Black, I need you to apply the veritaserum.” Dumbledore stated while gesturing to said man. Grumbling under his breath, he uncapped the vial to reveal a dropper, from which he placed 3 drops onto the tongue of their captive.

    With that done, Dumbledore gave a flick of his wand. The man groggily opened his eyes but stayed silent.

    “What is your name?” Dumbledore asked sternly.

    “Sirius Orion Black.” The now confirmed Sirius stated in monotone, which almost creeped Harry out.

    “What is your birth date?”

    “3rd of November, xxxx."

    “Good, it seems that the veritaserum is working. Not that I expected anything less from you, Severus.” With these words, he turned back to Black, “What happened from Halloween 13 years ago until your imprisonment?”

    “I had gone to check on Peter Pettigrew, the true secret keeper of our friends the Potters. I’d had a bad feeling all day, which was justified when I found his hideaway empty. I rushed over to Godric’s Hollow, only to find the house in ruins. I saw Hagrid carrying baby Harry, and asked him what he was doing. He said that you had ordered him to take Harry to his relatives. I thought that he would be happier with his blood family and gave Hagrid my motorcycle to get there faster, while I tracked down Peter.”

    “I finally found him and had him cornered in an alley. Before I could ask my questions, he shouted about how I betrayed James and Lily and cut off his own finger. Then he blasted the street and changed into his animagus form of a brown rat and fled into the sewers. I was dazed and in shock from the explosion, and the next thing I know I was Azkaban.” Black finished his tale, leaving Dumbledore looking astonished and angry.

    “Those fools! They told me I wasn’t needed that day! It would seem that a grave error has been made.” He stated as he freed Sirius and the man was given the antidote, “I apologize, my boy, rest assured that I will get you a proper trial as soon as possible. In the meantime, I want you to stay in the Hogwarts medical wing. Severus, please escort him.”

    Grumbling under his breath, Snape turned and motioned for Sirius to follow as they both left the room.


	5. Things get Weird

“So who was that, my godfather or something?” Harry jokingly asked after Snape and Sirius left, only to be answered with an awkward nod and silence. His face slowly lost all signs of emotion before he continued, “You're shitting me, right? I just picked that at random.”

“I assure you, Harry, that I am quite serious.” Dumbledore sighed, “As I said, it seems that there has been an extremely grave error. Your godfather put revenge before his duties, the ministry locked him away without a trial, and I did not think to ask the pertinent questions until it was far too late.” The old wizard stared out the window in contemplation, “Yes, many grave mistakes have led up to this horrific mess of a situation. However, it is not unsalvageable. In order to fix this, we must start discreetly. A simple request for Sirius’s trial records sent to Madame Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, should start the ball rolling.”

For Harry, this was all happening rather quickly. However, one thing stood out.

This was his chance, his opportunity to get away from the Dursleys!

“Is there anything I can do to help with this Professor?” He asked, snapping Dumbledore from his reverie. The headmaster put a hand to his chin in thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“Sadly Harry, there is not. Now, while normally I would send you back to your relatives, I can see that there is an excess of tension due to Vernon’s sister’s presence. And as much as I would like to send you to the Burrow…”

“Ron and his family are on vacation. But I actually already made plans. I just need to check and see if Hermione's convinced her parents yet.” Harry finished and suggested at the same time.

“Ah, excellent! It’s good to see you thinking ahead so much, Though I must ask why you did not do so when confronted with the situations of the last two years?” Dumbledore asked with a half teasing, half serious expression.

“Honestly? I figured first year was a fluke. Second-year made me start to think, and then the Dursleys started pulling their usual crap. I started planning, and Cloud's arrival on my life managed to give me the confidence boost I need to start executing my plans.” Harry explained seriously, earning a nod.

“I see. Well whatever the reason, I cannot let you stay in the castle. Not because I do not want you here, I assure you. However, we have no idea how your presence will affect your godfather’s recovery. Therefore, I will take you to the Leaky Cauldron so that you can rent a room.” Dumbledore replied solemnly, “I honestly wish that I could take you straight to Ms. Granger’s residence, but as you said she may not have been able to convince her parents. I would suggest sending an owl at your earliest opportunity.”

Harry sighed in relief. At least he would be away from his so-called ‘family' for the summer.

* * *

 

As Dumbledore suggested, Harry sent Hedwig off with a missive to Hermione asking how ‘negotiations’ were going. The reply he received was, unfortunately, not the bearer of good news

Apparently, while her mother didn’t mind so much, her father was being ridiculous in his overprotective tendencies. He was insisting that she couldn't have a boy over until she was 23.

And so, Harry was stuck in Diagon Alley. Not that he minded overly much. He, Cloud, and Hedwig had fun browsing the various stores. Though when they went into Gringotts to make a withdrawal, they had a rather... Interesting time.

* * *

 

As soon as they walked through the door, there was a shrill sound that forced Harry and Cloud to cover their ears. The sound stopped soon after and they were quickly escorted out of the lobby and into an office in the back with a familiar goblin.

“Griphook?” Harry asked in surprise, getting a surprised look in turn.

“You remember me?” The goblin asked.

“Of course I do. It would be rather rude to forget.” Harry replied as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Griphook gave a good-natured chuckle.

“Mr. Potter, it seems you do not understand. Most wizards care not about who it is that serves them, they simply see a goblin and equate him to any other goblin. Even the director himself would not be greeted by name or title.” The goblin explained. “But, that is not why you were brought here. You were brought here because you set off several alarms. Alarms tied to two ancient accounts. The accounts of two of the founders of Hogwarts: Gryffindor and Slytherin.”

Harry's response to this news? He started banging his head against the desk to Griphook’s surprise and Cloud’s amusement.

“WHY. IS. MY. LIFE. SO. COMPLICATED?!” Harry cried out between bangs.


End file.
